Radial Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy on Chronic Low Back Pain: a Prospective Controlled Study

Radial Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy on Chronic Low Back Pain: a Prospective Controlled Study

The aim of this prospective study is to explore the pain-alleviating effect of low-energy extracorporeal shock wave therapy(ESWT) in patients with chronic low back pain.

26 patients who suffered from persistent symptoms for more than 3 months are going to be treated with DOLORCLAST radial extracorporeal shock wave(EMS, Swiss). Patients are assigned to two groups according to the exist of specific pain spot. Group I(have specific pain spot) received a total of 2000 impulses of 2.5 Bar; group II(controls, no specific pain spot) 4000 impulses of 2.5 Bar. Patients is going to be treated once. The efficacy of therapy is going to be evaluated by VAS scale before and after the treatment.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Symptom of low back pain during last 4 weeks
• Low back pain history for more than 3 months

Exclusion Criteria:

• Have lower limbs radiating pain beyond knee joints
• Spinal tumorous or infectious disease, fracture, ankylosing spondylitis, cauda equina syndrome or other severe spinal diseases
• Spinal surgical history
• Severe heart, lung, liver, kidney disease or high blood pressure
• With cardiac pacemaker
• Coagulopathy or thrombosis
• Have ESW therapy or pharmaceutical treatment for low back pain during last 1 months
• Mental illnesses or none cooperation
• Pregnancy